Urban problems in developed world cities

Chapter Six

4 Main Urban Problems Traffic congestion Urban Decay Absence of Community Urban Sprawl

• • • • • • • Causes and effects of traffic congestion Three international strategies to improve traffic flow Four Irish strategies Urban decay (causes and effects) Absence of community (causes and effects) Urban renewal – regeneration – redevelopment Urban sprawl – causes – effects and consequences • • • •

4 case studies to give further information:

Cork Copenhagen Paris Ballymun, Dublin

Chapter aims:

• Identify and describe urban problems • Name Irish and international cities with these problems • Name and describe solutions to urban problems

Common Urban Problems

1.Traffic congestion 2.Urban decay 3.Absence of community 4.Urban sprawl 5.Air and water pollution and waste disposal

Traffic Congestion

1. Many cities were built in times when horses and carts were used as transport.

2. The streets are not wide enough for modern day vehicles.

3. Public transport systems in many cities are inadequate.

4. Many people still rely on cars.

5. Cities cannot cope on ‘car-dependent society’.

The nine day traffic jam…….

Did you know…..

Commuting rates in Ireland are among the highest in the EU The average car in Ireland travels more than 25,000km per year.

This is 70% more than France This is 30% more than the US.

• • • • • • • • • • • Rush hour (morning and evening) Noise pollution Stress Loss of family contact time Less community spirit Air pollution (cars running) Greater risk of traffic accidents Higher cost of goods due to increased transport times Health-related problems like asthma Less time for physical activities Obesity

Mexico City Singapore London Ireland

• In the

1990’s Drive Days’

the Government launched the

‘No

system where by car owners could not drive in the city on certain days depending on the last digit in their number plate.

•

Problem:

Rich people simply went out and bought a second car to drive on the ‘no drive days’ of the first car!

•

Problem:

Pollution continued to rise and Mexico had the worst rates of air pollution in the world.

•

Solution?

The Government now plans an ‘electronic tag’ system where you have to pay to drive in the city .

•

(1971, revised in 1991)

• The Government controls the amount of vehicles sold each year. Each month a

quota of cars

that can be sold is released. • Members of the public who wish to buy a car must bid for the right to do so!

• If their bid is successful they are issued with a

COE

(certificate of entitlement) which allows them the option to buy a car.

• If the car owner wants to keep the car longer than ten years they must renew the certificate.

• The Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003 to ensure that those congesting the streets of London made a financial contribution.

• The charge also aimed to encourage people to use public transport more and their personal car less.

• Drivers must pay £8 if they wish to drive in the centre of London between 7am to 6.30pm.

• The charges have been increased in recent years as the zones were enlarged and changed.

• In Dublin (2007) the Government attempted to reduced the amount of

HGV’

s that were choking the streets of the city each day. To restrict their use of the city centre they: • Banned HGVs (of five axles or more) from the city centre from 7am to 6pm in the evening.

• HGV’s of this size had to use the

M50

and toll bridge roads instead.

• The

Dublin Port Tunnel

was completed in 2008 which links the Port to the M50…this further reduced the need for HGV’s in the city centre.

• • • • • • • • • • Traffic flow is increased and congestion reduced by: One way streets Car parks Cycle lanes Roundabouts Traffic lights Yellow boxes Clamping and car park restrictions Park and ride schemes Pedestrian streets Traffic calming

• Car parking must be within reasonable distance of the city centre.

• So on-street and off-street parking must be effective and available.

• Improving

public transport

is essential.

• The integration of different forms of transport means a successful transport system.

•

Park and ride

facilities encourage car owners to leave the cars outside the city and use public transport.

•

Bus lanes

shortens journey times.

• The

LUAS

and the

Dart

system further reduces the amount of vehicles in the city centre.

• The

Transport 21

system aims to improve inter-city links outside of Dublin.

Many older buildings in the city centre need to be demolished or repaired.

These buildings have ancient sanitation, poor heating, damp, rats, leaks, etc etc etc.

The residents experience

: Inadequate public services Community disruption Unemployment Rundown buildings Isolation

As people are rehoused from the inner city some buildings are demolished but others are left boarded up.

These abandoned buildings attract negative behaviour such as: Vandalism Drug dealing/taking Squats Crimes = urban decay Also, many older industries are leaving their city centre locations and moving to new plants on the outskirts.

This increases the level of unemployment in the city centre.

These city centre locations are often redeveloped such as the IFSC area of Dublin’s Docklands.

Over the past 60 years residents who used to live in run down parts of the city centre were rehoused in new developments like Tallaght and Ballymun. However, few knew their new neighbours and felt isolated and alone.

Most of the residents in these new areas were young people with young families….leaving older residents in the city centre.

The elderly residents are unable to fully maintain the buildings and feared going outside. Crime and anti-social behaviour heightened their fears.

Urban renewal = to replace or upgrade decaying buildings.

Renewal is taking place in many Irish towns and cities: • • • • • Galway: Dublin: Waterford: Limerick: Cork: Eyre Square Liberties, Sherrif Street Quays Moyross, quays City centre

Urban Redevelopment = people are moved out of their homes, demolished and rebuilt for commercial uses. (HARP project)

Urban Sprawl: rapid growth of housing from cities into the surrounding countryside.

Causes:

Population increase, Celtic Tiger Boom

Consequences:

Loss of farmland, greenbelts

Solutions:

Use the land more efficiently, renew buildings and land use, plans and strategies.

Ten key points on each (dates, locations, plans, proposals etc)

• Name the city • Give a date of start/completion/proposal (if possible) • Name the plan and who proposed it • Costing of the plan (if available) • Key aims of the plan • Areas the plan will change/influence • Other main points/problems/concerns

Sample key notes for Cork City:

Cork city and the wider Cork Metropolitan area.

Traffic congestion in and around the streets of Cork City.

CASP: Cork Area Strategic Plan implemented.

• • • • Aimed to integrate the transport system by: Improving/providing key road links Develop suburban rail network Provide bus network with park and ride Improve cycle and pedestrianised aras Bus network is park of

GREEN ROUTES

: 1. Improved footpaths 2. Pedestrian safety 3. Cycle lanes and track 4. Pedestrian crossings 5. Bus/cycle priority at traffic lights Estimated €40million from Dept. of Transport

Ten key points on each (dates, locations, plans, proposals etc)